Idaho Voters Pamphlet Concerning Proposed Constitutional Amendment HJR 5 General Election November 8, 2016 YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO: Proposed Constitutional Amendment Voter Registration and Absentee Voting Information Accessible Voting County Clerk Election Department Contacts Published by Lawerence Denney Secretary of State State of Idaho
STATE OF IDAHO OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE LAWERENCE DENNEY Dear Idahoan: This is your Idaho Voters Pamphlet. It contains information regarding the constitutional amendment HJR 5, which will appear on the November 8, 2016 General Election ballot, along with other important information related to the election process. Enclosed you will find the constitutional amendment ballot question, the statement of meaning, purpose and result to be accomplished as well as statements for and against the proposed amendment. As required by law, the statement of meaning, purpose and result to be accomplished as well as the statements for and against the amendment have been prepared by the Legislative Council. I encourage you to take time to carefully read the information contained in this pamphlet regarding the proposed constitutional amendment. As a citizen of Idaho, you have the final vote on amending our state constitution. Also included in this pamphlet is important information regarding registering to vote, voting requirements and absentee voting options, along with contact information for your County Clerk s Office. Voting is essential to good governance and I encourage you to take this opportunity to let your voice be heard by voting on November 8, 2016. Sincerely, LAWERENCE DENNEY Secretary of State
PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT The Legislature proposed the following amendment to the Idaho State Constitution to be voted on by Idaho citizens at the General Election to be held on November 8, 2016. HJR 5 Shall Article III, of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended by the addition of a new Section 29, to provide that the Legislature may review any administrative rule to ensure it is consistent with the legislative intent of the statute that the rule was written to interpret, prescribe, implement or enforce; to provide that, after review, the Legislature may approve or reject, in whole or in part, any rule as provided by law; and to provide that legislative approval or rejection of a rule is not subject to gubernatorial veto under Section 10, Article IV, of the Constitution of the State of Idaho?. Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the State of Idaho: Section 29, Article III Legislative Council s Statement of Meaning, Purpose, and Result to be Accomplished HJR 5 The Legislature writes the laws of the state under which the state agencies adopt agency rules. By statute, agencies make rules that only interpret and implement these laws, and the legislature reserves the authority to review and reject agency rules if a rule is contrary to the intent of the law. The Legislature s ability to approve or reject agency rules is an important aspect of the separation of powers, because these rules have the force and effect of law. The Legislature currently oversees that rulemaking process by accepting or rejecting agency rules. The proposed amendment confirms and protects the Legislature s practice to authorize agency rulemaking, and to accept or reject agency rules.
Legislative Council s Statements FOR the Proposed Amendment 1. The proposed constitutional amendment safeguards the ability of the legislature - elected by the people - to review and reject agency rules created by unelected state officials if those rules conflict with legislative intent. This will protect Idahoans from unfair or over regulation. 2. The legislature s current ability to review agency rules is in the law. Idaho s Supreme Court previously held that statute valid, a future supreme court could potentially declare it invalid, because Idaho s Constitution does not expressly recognize the ability of the legislature to review agency rules. The proposed constitutional amendment would protect the legislature s authority to ensure that agency rules conform with legislative intent. 3. If a future court determined the legislature did not have the right to review and reject agency rules, then Idahoans would have to hire lawyers and file lawsuits to challenge agencies rules. That would be a much more expensive and time-consuming process than the current system which this amendment proposes to protect. 4. A Governor s veto is not required, because agency rules are proposed by the Governor s departments and agencies. Legislative Council s Statements AGAINST the Proposed Amendment 1. This constitutional amendment is unnecessary because the legislature already has legal authority to review agency rules. Even if the legislature did not have this authority, sufficient methods of challenging agency rules exist: the legislature can pass a law limiting an executive agency s rulemaking ability, or a rule can be challenged in court. 2. The legislature is overly involved with state agencies when it examines their rules to see whether they conform to legislative intent, and that practice should not be in Idaho s Constitution. Legislative review of agency rules is time-consuming and makes it more difficult for state agencies to conduct day-to-day
business. 3. The legislature responds to agency rules in different ways. One way is to pass a bill, which it does every year to extend the agency rules from previous years. The proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit any veto of a rule approval or rejection and would infringe on the Governor s right to veto bills under the Idaho Constitution. VOTER QUALIFICATIONS, REGISTRATION & VOTING To register to vote in Idaho you must: be a U.S. Citizen, have resided in Idaho and in the county for thirty (30) days prior to the day of election, and be at least 18 years old. Party Affiliation Party affiliation is required to register to vote. However, party affiliation has no impact on voting in the General Election. Electors may designate an affiliation with one of the recognized political parties or may designate themselves as an unaffiliated voter (i.e. no party preference). REGISTRATION In order to participate in any election, you must be registered to vote with the County Clerk in your county of residence by completing a Voter Regsitration Card. You may pre-register before an election or may register on Election Day. To preregister to vote prior to the General Election, a completed registration card must be delivered to your County Clerk or be post-marked by October 14, 2016. To register to vote on Election Day, you may appear at the polling place designated for the voting precinct in which you maintain your residence and complete a Voter Registration Card along with providing a photo ID and proof of residence. Only the following documents showing your current residence address in the precinct are authorized for use in Election Day Registration: A valid Idaho driver s license or identification card issued
through the Department of Transportation. Any document which contains a valid address in the precinct together with a picture identification card. Students may also use a current valid student identification card from a post secondary educational institution in Idaho accompanied with a current student fee statement that contains the student s valid address in the precinct together with a picture identification card. Re-registration - When Required Re-registration is required if you have moved, changed your name or if you have not voted in any election in the four years since you registered to vote, in which case the County Clerk cancelled your registration for a lack of participation. VOTING Prior to voting, all voters must either present photo ID or sign a Personal Identification Affidavit. Only the following documents are approved for use as photo ID before voting: An Idaho driver s license or photo identification card. A U.S. passport or Federal photo identification card. A tribal photo identification card. A current student photo ID, issued by an Idaho high school or post secondary education institution located in Idaho. If you are unable to present one of the above identification cards, you may sign a Personal Identification Affidavit instead. By signing the Personal Identification Affidavit, you are swearing to your identity under penalty of perjury, which is a felony under 34-1114, Idaho Code. After signing the Personal Identification Affidavit, you will be issued a ballot and allowed to vote as all other voters. ABSENTEE VOTING All registered voters are eligible to vote by either absentee or early voting. An absentee ballot can be mailed to you or voted in-person at the absentee polling place. Early voting allows you to vote in-person at the Early Voting polling location just as you would on Election Day.
To request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you, please send a completed Absentee Ballot Request Form or a written request to the County Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on October 28, 2016. Absentee ballot request forms are available from the County Clerk or at www.idahovotes.gov. In lieu of the absentee ballot request form, you can make a written request with the required information (your name, residence address in Idaho, and mailing address where you would like the ballot mailed to) and be personally signed. All absentee request forms and written requests may be submitted to the County Clerk by personal delivery, mail, fax or can be scanned and emailed. Once your voter registration has been verified, the absentee ballot(s) will be mailed to you. All voted absentee ballots must be received in the Office of the County Clerk by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day (i.e. November 8, 2016) in order to be counted. Voted ballots must be returned by personal delivery or by mail. In-person absentee voting and early voting are available at the County Clerk s Office or Elections Office until 5:00 p.m. on November 4, 2016. Other absentee or early voting polling locations may be available. Please contact your County Clerk s Office to verify locations and hours of operation. VOTING ACCESSIBILITY Idaho has several options for accessible voting including assistance from a person of your choice, use of the voter assistance terminal, curb-side voting and absentee voting. Contact your County Clerk s Office for detailed information on all accessible voting options available including absentee voting. Polling place accessibility: On Election day, counties in Idaho provide a clear path of travel and other accommodations to ensure access to their polling places. Accessible voting booths are available as well as voter assistance terminals for anyone who may have difficulty seeing or marking a ballot. Absentee voting: As always, you have the option of voting by absentee ballot.
Many voters with special needs find absentee voting at home as a great way to participate without having to appear at either the Absentee or Early Voting polling location or at the polls on Election Day. To request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you, send a written request to the County Clerk s Office by 5:00 p.m. on October 28, 2016. Voting with assistance of a person of your choice: Anyone may receive assistance with voting from a person of their choice. You may bring someone with you to the polls on Election Day or may ask for assistance from a poll worker or other voter. The voter assistance terminal: In compliance with the Help America Vote Act, a voter assistance terminal is available in every polling place in Idaho. A voter assistance terminal can assist you to vote privately and independently, especially if you have difficulty seeing or marking a ballot. Headphones are available to listen to an audio ballot then you may make your vote selections on a touch screen or Braille keypad. A voter assistance terminal also has a zoom feature to enlarge the ballot print and also a contrast feature to make the ballot easier to read. When using the voter assistance terminal, you will have the chance to review your ballot selections and change any selections, just like any other voter, and you may request a new ballot from a poll worker prior to depositing the ballot in the ballot box if a mistake is made. Ballots voted on the voter assistance terminal are counted by the county Election Board in the same manner as all other ballots. Operating instructions are available at www.idahovotes.gov and at the polls. Poll workers are trained to assist in the use of the voter assistance terminal when asked for assistance. Curbside voting and special circumstances: If you are able make it to the Absentee or Early Voting polling location or to the polls on Election Day but are unable to enter
the location, curbside voting is available. To request curbside assistance, have someone notify the poll workers that you are in the parking lot and would like to vote curbside. A poll worker will bring the ballot(s) and other necessary equipment to you in the parking lot. You will still be required to show photo ID or sign the Personal Identification Affidavit prior to being allowed to vote, so, please have the necessary documents available. In special circumstances, delivery of the ballot is available. You will need to contact your County Clerk s Office to determine if your current circumstance would allow for a ballot to be delivered to you and how to request a ballot to be delivered. Please contact the County Clerk s Office as early as possible to determine if this is an option for you. For additional election information, including verifying your voter registration and locating your polling place, please visit our website at: www.idahovotes.gov IDAHO FEDERAL OFFICIALS Senator Mike Crapo (R) 239 Dirksen Senate Bldg.; Washington, DC 20510 DC Phone: (202) 224-6142 Idaho Phone: (208) 334-1776 http://www.crapo.senate.gov/ Senator Jim Risch (R) 483 Russell Senate Office Bldg.; Washington, DC 20510 DC Phone: (202) 224-2752 Idaho Phone: (208) 342-7985 http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/ Representative Raul Labrador (R) 1523 Longworth House Office Bldg.; Washington, DC 20515 DC Phone: (202) 225-6611 Idaho Phone: (208) 888-3188 https://labrador.house.gov/ Representative Mike Simpson (R) 2312 Rayburn House Office Bldg.; Washington, DC 20515 DC Phone: (202) 225-5531 Idaho Phone: (208) 334-1953 http://simpson.house.gov/
IDAHO STATE OFFICIALS Governor C.L. Butch Otter (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0034 Phone: (208) 334-2100 https://gov.idaho.gov/ Lieutenant Governor Brad Little (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0057 Phone: (208) 334-2200 https://lgo.idaho.gov/ Attorney General Lawrence G. Wasden (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0010 Phone: (208) 334-2400 http://www.ag.idaho.gov/index.html Secretary of State Lawerence Denney (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0080 Phone: (208) 334-2300 http://www.sos.idaho.gov/ State Controller Brandon Woolf (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0011 Phone: (208) 334-3100 http://www.sco.idaho.gov/ State Treasurer Ron Crane (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0091 Phone: (208) 334-3200 http://sto.idaho.gov/ Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra (R) PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0027 Phone: (208) 332-6800 http://www.sde.idaho.gov/
COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES County Address Phone Number Ada 400 N Benjamin Ln Ste 100 287-6860 Boise ID 83704 Adams PO Box 48 253-4561 Council, ID 83612-0048 Bannock PO Box 6094 236-7329 Pocatello, ID 83205-4489 Bear Lake PO Box 190 945-2212 Paris, ID 83261-0190 Benewah 701 W College Ave Ste 101 245-3212 St Maries, ID 83861-1852 Bingham 501 N Maple St #205 782-3164 Blackfoot, ID 83221-1776 Blaine 206 1st Ave South #200 788-5510 Hailey, ID 83333-8429 Boise PO Box 1300 392-4431 Idaho City, ID 83631-1300 Bonner 1500 Hwy 2 Ste 124 255-3631 Sandpoint, ID 83864-1794 Bonneville Physical: 825 Shoup Ave, Idaho Falls 529-1363 Mailing: 605 N Capital Ave Idaho Falls, ID 83402-3582 Boundary PO Box 419 267-2242 Bonners Ferry, ID 83805-0419 Butte PO Box 737 527-3021 Arco, ID 83213-0737 Camas PO Box 430 764-2242 Fairfield, ID 83327-0430 Canyon 1102 E Chicago 454-7562 Caldwell, ID 83605-3522 Caribou PO Box 775 547-4324 Soda Springs, ID 83276-0775
COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES - Continued County Address Phone Number Cassia 1459 Overland Ave, Rm 105 878-5240 Burley, ID 83318-1862 Clark PO Box 205 374-5304 Dubois, ID 83423-0205 Clearwater PO Box 586 476-5615 Orofino, ID 83544-0586 Custer PO Box 385 879-2360 Challis, ID 83226-0385 Elmore 150 S 4th E #3 587-2130 Mountain Home, ID 83647-3000 Franklin 39 W Oneida 852-1090 Preston, ID 83263-1232 Fremont 151 W 1st N #12 624-7332 St Anthony, ID 83445-1548 Gem 415 E Main, Room 202 365-4561 Emmett, ID 83617-3096 Gooding PO Box 417 934-4841 Gooding, ID 83330-0417 Idaho 320 W Main Rm 5 983-2751 Grangeville, ID 83530-1948 Jefferson 210 Courthouse Way Ste 100 745-7756 Rigby, ID 83442-5294 Jerome 300 N Lincoln Rm 301 644-2714 Jerome, ID 83338-2344 Kootenai PO Box 9000 446-1030 Coeur d Alene, ID 83816-9000 Latah PO Box 8068, 883-2249 Moscow, ID 83843-0568 Lemhi 206 Courthouse Drive 756-2815 Salmon, ID 83467-3900 Lewis 510 Oak St Rm 1 937-2661 Nezperce, ID 83543-5065
COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES - Continued County Address Phone Number Lincoln 111 West B St Ste C 886-7641 Shoshone, ID 83352-5364 Madison PO Box 389 359-6219 Rexburg, ID 83440-0389 Minidoka PO Box 368 436-9511 Rupert, ID 83350-0368 Nez Perce PO Box 896 799-3020 Lewiston, ID 83501-0896 Oneida 10 Court Street 766-4116 Malad, ID 83252-1200 Owyhee PO Box 128 495-2421 Murphy, ID 83650-0128 Payette 1130 3rd Ave N Rm 104 642-6000 Payette, ID 83661-2473 Power 543 Bannock Ave 226-7611 American Falls, ID 83211-1200 Shoshone 700 Bank Street #120 752-1264 Wallace, ID 83873-2348 Teton 150 Courthouse Dr. #208 354-8780 Driggs, ID 83422 Twin Falls PO Box 126 736-4004 Twin Falls, ID 83301 Valley PO Box 1350 382-7100 Cascade, ID 83611-1350 Washington PO Box 670 414-2092 Weiser, ID 83672-0670 For other questions, please contact the Secretary of State s Office. Elections Division 700 W Jefferson St, Ste E205; Boise, ID PO Box 83720; Boise, ID 83720-0080 (208) 334-2852 elections@sos.idaho.gov
IDAHO POLITICAL PARTIES Constitution Party of Idaho PO Box 186 Coeur d Alene ID 83816 Phone: (208) 983-4220 www.cpidaho.org Floyd Whitley, Chairman Idaho Democratic Party PO Box 445 Boise ID 83701 Phone: (208) 336-1815 www.idahodems.org Bert Marley, Chairman Libertarian Party of Idaho 1421 Dearborn Street Caldwell ID 83605 Phone: (208) 459-1032 www.lpid.org Rob Oates, Chairman Idaho Republican Party PO Box 2267 Boise ID 83701 Phone: (208) 343-6405 www.idgop.org Steve Yates, Chairman The Secretary of State and the Idaho Commission for Libraries have partnered to provide this voter information in a format accessible to the visually impaired. An audio version of this pamphlet is available from the Talking Books Service (TBS) for TBS users or on our website at www.idahovotes.gov.